Hey there friends. We’re gearing up for the release of Bourbon County Stout around here. This year’s line-up is tasting great (even better than the pork shoulder I smoked last night) but we do have an update for you.

We planned for seven Bourbon County variants, and now we’re going to release six. Since we wanted to let you know first, here’s the scoop. Straight from the brewmaster’s mouth.

We will not be releasing Reserve Barleywine. This beer was aged for nearly two years in 35-year-old bourbon casks, and it was one of our most ambitious barrel projects to date. We know that both re-using barrels and lengthy aging time can put us in a vulnerable situation. But why not try it?

Well, as it turns out, it doesn’t taste like what we wanted it to. We noticed before release, so it won’t be shipping out this year. But, we still have six badass beers coming out on Black Friday, and we’re really proud of each one.

And before you ask, we’ve done extensive tasting and testing of the other variants and those beers are solid. They check out by both our quality testing program and our validated taste panel, i.e. people who are very good at tasting beer and do it a lot.

Believe me, we’re as bummed as you are. Well. More. But don’t worry – this year’s Bourbon County line-up will still give you plenty to ponder and appreciate with friends and loved ones. Brewer’s word.